Biology
provided by World Register of Marine Species
zooxanthellate
- license
- cc-by-4.0
- copyright
- WoRMS Editorial Board
- bibliographic citation
- Sheppard, C.R.C. (1998). Corals of the Indian Ocean: a taxonomic and distribution database for coral reef ecologists van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).
- contributor
- Jacob van der Land [email]
Description
provided by World Register of Marine Species
This is a regularly meandroid coral, with very even series of corallites. Valleys are long and regular, running unbroken for many centimetres. Septa have smooth edges, and the columella is likewise a smooth ribbon running unbroken along the valley floor. In daytime, small tentacles are usually visible. This is the only member of the family Meandrinidae in the Indo-Pacific, a family common in the Caribbean. Its distribution is restricted to the Chagos Archipelago, and it probably represents a relict population there. In Chagos, however, it is a very common coral, with colonies up to a metre in diameter.
- license
- cc-by-4.0
- copyright
- WoRMS Editorial Board
- bibliographic citation
- Sheppard, C.R.C. (1998). Corals of the Indian Ocean: a taxonomic and distribution database for coral reef ecologists van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).
- contributor
- Esther Fondo [email]
